Born in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1931, Leon was first inspired to play piano in 1940 after hearing records of the pounding boogie-woogie of Meade Lux Lewis and Albert Ammons, and also early live performances by fellow Texan Charles Brown.
Although he relocated to Las Vegas in the early 1990s because of Albert Collins, he hasn't slowed down bit. He continued to tour regularly with his old friends like Roy Gaines, Sonny Rhodes or Phillip Walker, and is frequently in L.A. for gigs and recording sessions, tickling the ivories or pounding out a boogie as needed. But it wasn't until The Mannish Boys sessions in 2004 that Leon got a chance to show off his 'secret weapon' on record for the very first time - a warm and husky blues voice, that we're sure to hear more of in the future.
Nowadays, at 83 years of age still live and kicking, Leon mostly performs as a headliner either solo or with other musicians.
The Boquete Jazz&Blues Festival is very proud to present this veteran of piano Blues in Panama for the first time. Festival visitors will have the chance to see and hear Mr. Leon Blue perform at least three times: At an intimate show at the small Boquete communal theater BCP on Thursday, Feb 05 at 5pm, at the all star jam starting at 8p at the Baru restaurant that same evening together with Andy Egert and Deanna Bogart, and on the main stage at 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon, Feb 08, sharing the stage with Andy Egert and the Boquete Blues Band.
Mr. Leon Blue is a must to see and hear! Don't miss him!